Parents' Guide to Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Though they're three classics from the late '90s, the action games on this compilation are as fresh and challenging as they were when they came out on the first PlayStation. Much like the WipEout Omega Collection, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy presents aurally and visually remastered versions of three classic games: 1996's Crash Bandicoot, 1997's Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and 1998's Crash Bandicoot: Warped. Platformers in the vein of Mario's greatest adventures, all three have you running, jumping, and spinning your way through sadistic obstacle courses full of traps, explosive boxes, surly monkeys, and other hazards.

But while the three games in this collection are as good as we remember them, these versions add a few small things that make them even better. Most notably, you can now play them as Crash's similarly skilled sister, Coco. The game also automatically saves after every level. And if you do well at the Time Trials -- in which you replay a level with the added challenge of having to beat the clock -- it will upload your best time to online leaderboards so that you can brag on a worldwide scale. But be warned: There are some new levels included in the compilation that will put your platforming skills (and your patience) to the test. Stormy Ascent is a previously unreleased stage for the original Crash set in a tower, with lots of moving platforms, disappearing stairs, and spike traps. Future Tense, on the other hand, is a new stage for Crash 3, where you'll have to dodge incoming fire, moving lasers, and large pits. Both of the new stages require split-second timing, and even experienced players will have a challenge surviving each stage. Regardless of how you play each game, or even the new stages, though, the three games in Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy are as perplexing and engaging as they always were. It's great that new audiences can experience them in this new collection.